Secrets
by BeardedDevil
Summary: Everyone has secrets. But what happens when Dylan's deepest and darkest secret is revealed. Will Zoe accept him for who he is or will she leave him like everyone else in his life. Please review.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter one

The clubs' music was loud and energetic. She could feel the bass pounding through her chest, as though she was becoming part of the music. Staggering awkwardly, she made her way to the bar. Walking in heels was a lot easier when your vision wasn't blurred and your blood alcohol level was below .17 but she didn't care. She came here to have fun and that's what she was going to do.

Resting one arm on the marble counter top she ordered 3 more shots of tequila. After throwing back the final one and biting into the lemon she breathed letting the alcohol warm her belly before subsiding.

Making her way back to the dance floor she began to dance like she was a 20 year old again. Despite her age, she was receiving a lot of attention from the younger males around her. Perhaps it was the fact that she was totally trollied.

A tall man approached her. He appeared to be in his late 20s with short black hair that had been gelled to form small spikes on the top of his head. He wore beige chinos with a blue plaid shirt and his boat shoes seemed to be a darker blue. He was dressed to impress. "May I?" he asked. She didn't recognise his accent. He sounded like he was from up north.

"Sure." She replied, returning his smile.

Stepping closer he slid his hands down past her waist and planted them firmly on her buttocks and began to dance with her. She wrapped her arms around his neck. Shouting over the music the young man said, "I didn't catch your name."

"Zoe," she shouted back, "Zoe Hanna. And yours?"

"Bond, James Bond."

Zoe smirked, "I highly doubt that's your name."

"Clever." He smiled at her, "Its James. James Kennington."

Replying with a smile, Zoe continued to dance with him. The alcohol coursing through her veins was making it hard for her to see clearly. Even trying to focus on James' features which were merely a few inches away was a challenge in itself. She knew he had stubble because she could now feel it rubbing up against her neck. Throwing her head back, but keeping her arms around his neck to steady herself, she allowed him to explore her neck with his lips. As he made his way to her lips she began to explore his mouth with her own, only stopping to come up for air. Zoe was enjoying it until her mouth started to become wet with saliva and she had to pull away from James. She made a mad dash for the toilets.

As she entered the white room her eyes took a few seconds to adjust to the new lighting. Staggering to the nearest stall she pushed opened the door and fell to her knees just as a surge of vomit overcame her.

Feeling content that she wasn't going to be sick anymore she slowly rose from the floor and flushed the toilet. Wiping her mouth with the back of hand she walked to the sink to wash away any evidence that she had just puked. Whilst washing her hands she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror. Her neatly brushed bob was now a mess with some strands of hair sticking up. Her mascara had smudged leaving her with, what looked like, two black eyes and her once dark and tanned skin now looked pale and drained of colour. Not only did she feel like shit but now she looked like shit too. _I'm getting too old for this._ Dumping her purse next to the basin, she rummaged through it searching for her car keys before coming to the realisation that the bar tender had confiscated them after her 6th drink.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter two

Zoe had managed to make her way back through the club and out of the exit without being spotted by her new pal, James. _Probably found a new bird to lock lips with _she thought to herself. She hadn't realised how cold it was and was now regretting wearing this pathetic excuse of a dress.

It had seemed like an eternity waiting for her ride, but in reality it had only been 15 minutes. The passenger door of the jeep was opened from the inside. Zoe climbed in and shut the door, feeling very grateful for the invention of heating.

"Well… someone looks awful" said the driver.

"Oh, shu' up Dylan. At shleast I'm not afraid to have a bit of fun." Zoe slurred.

"Sorry. I didn't realise getting drunk beyond recognition and hooking up with random people is what we now class as fun." Retorted Dylan sarcastically.

Letting out a sigh, Zoe rested her head against the window, getting into an argument with Dylan was the last thing she needed.

She figured she must have fallen asleep because the next thing she knew was that Dylan had pulled up outside her apartment. Turning to face him she smiled and thanked him. Opening the car door she climbed out only to have her legs buckle beneath her. Too drunk to move she stayed down, the ice cold floor stung against her bare skin. Zoe assumed Dylan must've gotten out because the rumble of the car engine went dead and there was a bang of a car door being closed. The next thing she knew she was being carried by Dylan and listening to him tut away at her.

"What's your code?" he asked flatly

"My shwat?" Zoe slurred

"You know, the pass key to get inside your building."

"Oh, tat old shing… I dun know"

Dylan looked at her, knowing she was probably too drunk to remember her own name, "of course you don't"

He shifted her body in his arms so he could free one of his hands and then hit one of the buttons labelled 'JONES'. At first there was the crackle of static and then a gruff voice came over the intercom, "Wa ya want?"

"Erm, yes, hello. I have one of your neighbours here."

"So?" Jones grunted.

"Hm, well I was wondering if you could let us in."

There was a pause and then the old man let out a sigh, he buzzed them through and the door unlocked allowing the two of them to enter. Walking over to the elevator Dylan pressed the button with an upward facing arrow and after a minute or so the doors dinged open and he carried Zoe through. When they arrived at her floor Dylan had to shift Zoe's body a second time so he could hold her with one arm. Using the free arm he rummaged through her purse looking for her door key, once he found it he inserted it into the allotted hole and gave it a turn. There was a click which meant the door was now unlocked. Turning the silver handle the wooden door swung open revealing Zoe's apartment. Dylan whistled to himself_._

It was a modest open loft, to say the least. The wooden floor had been white washed giving the room more depth. The loft was simplistic and modern but Zoe's personality shone through.

Walking into the room, still carrying Zoe in what now looked like a fireman's carry; he shut the door behind him using his leg. He continued to carry her to the plush leather sofa that was situated in the middle of the room. Laying her down to rest he wandered over to the far wall which was entirely made of glass. Zoe had a pretty damn good view from up here and it was even better at night.

Dylan spun around on his heel, taking in the rest of her loft. Glancing at Zoe, who was now sprawled out on the sofa, he went over to check on her. Zoe smiled at him as he crouched down, becoming level with her.

"Hey" she said hoarsely.

"Hey, how you feeling?" he asked trying to add compassion to his tone.

"Not good. How… How'd you get in here?"

"Neighbour let us in. it would seem that your 'fun' night out has left you incompetent." He said making air quotations around the word fun.

Pulling herself up off of her front and into a sitting position, she patted the cushion next to her signalling for Dylan to sit. He stood up and plopped himself into the, surprisingly comfy, sofa. Zoe hooked her finger under his chin and turned his head so he faced her. Zoe closed her eyes and leaned in slowly to Dylan, taking his mouth in hers. She kissed him deeply and tried to slip in some tongue but Dylan pulled away.

"No," he whispered, eyes still shut. "I can't."

Zoe glared at him, "Don't you want to kiss me?"

"No." _Yes_. He knew he couldn't take advantage of her like this. _It's just the drink talking, _he thought to himself.

Zoe darted her eyes from him and to the ceiling, letting out a reluctant sigh she closed her eyes and drifted off in no time.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter three

Dylan was awoken by the beeping of his phone. He opened one eye to see where the noise was coming from. Realising this wasn't his boat house he shot straight up, taking in his surroundings he concluded he had stayed at Zoe's for the night. She would have been a hazard to herself if she had stayed here alone. He clocked his phone on the coffee table; he had fallen asleep on the sofa after putting Zoe in her own bed. She had begged him to join her, but he passed up the offer knowing it could never work.

Reaching for his now silent phone, he slid is finger along the bottom and the iPhone made its usual 'I'm unlocked' sound. He scanned through his missed called and messages. "Can't they let a man sleep?" he muttered under his breath.

* * *

In her bedroom, Zoe was just beginning to wake up. She began to massage her throbbing temples with her index fingers. _What happened last night? _Kicking her covers off she looked down to find she was still in her dress. Muttering something she sat up, stopped massaging her temples and pulled open the oak wood drawer that was next to her double bed. "There you are." She said as she grabbed a pack of ibuprofen. Popping out two of the white pills she palmed them and dry swallowed.

Allowing herself time to recuperate, she slid out of bed and put on her fluffy slippers which were next to her bed. Walking over to the door she grabbed her dressing gown from the back of it and wrapped it tightly around her.

* * *

Dylan was still sat on the sofa with his elbows on his knees and his head buried in his hands. He was thinking about something.

Walking out into her open plan living space, Zoe headed for the kitchen. Her black counter tops and modern cooking equipment added class to the area. She put the kettle on and opened the dishwasher. Taking out a clean mug she placed it on the small island that was situated in the middle of her kitchen.

Once the kettle had come to a boil she picked it up and walked over to the island, resting her left hand on the counter top she began to pour out the hot liquid into her mug. She was startled when the man on her sofa sat up straight. Her instincts made her jerk backwards and the boiling water spilled out of the kettle onto her left hand.

When Zoe let out a yelp of pain, Dylan turned around to see pain all over her scrunched up face. "What, what is it?" he asked, as he rushed over to her.

Once he caught sight of her hand he knew it was a burn, no doubt about it. Turning on her tap he made her put her hand under the cold water. Zoe let out a sigh of relief. "You startled me. What are you even doing here?"

"No thank you Dylan? I see how it is." His tone was sarcastic. After taking a breath he continued, "… You called me last night, complaining about having no car keys and that you needed a ride. I told you OK and drove to the club you were at. You were a mess. Could barely articulate a simple sentence, let alone drive. I brought you back here, put you to bed and stayed the night making sure you were alright." He made sure he left out the part about her throwing herself at him.

Glancing down at her hand, he pulled a face. "You need to get that seen to."

She shot an 'I'm not an idiot' look at him, "Thank you captain obvious. So glad you're here."

Grabbing a tea towel, Dylan ran it under the cold water and then gently wrapped it over her red and blistering hand. "Well then, let's go."

Once in his old jeep Zoe asked, "Didn't you once say you had to really like a girl before letting her ride in this thing?"

"Yeah, well, there was a rule change." He said, trying to deflect the real reason.

They didn't talk for the whole journey to Holby. Jumping out of the car, Dylan walked round to the passenger side and opened the door for Zoe. Once she was out, he locked the car and they headed for the A&E entrance.

* * *

Charlie raised his eyebrow at Zoe as he walked past the pair. She was still in her dressing gown and slippers. This caused quite a few eyes to glance their way. Noel looked up from reception and wolf whistled at them, "Get in there Dr Hanna." Big Mac joined in with Noel's childish remarks.

Dylan kept his head down and led Zoe to a free cubicle. Once in, he pulled the curtains shut and grabbed a stool, he seated himself on it. This earned him a confused look from Zoe. "What?" he asked impatiently.

"This is unlike you. You're not really a people person."

"Considering this was, sort of, my fault I made an exception."

Zoe shrugged and placed her hand on the tray. Flinching as Dylan removed the tea towel. Some skin came away with the towel and he threw the whole thing in the waste bin.

"Hey! I might have wanted that."

Judging by the lack of anger in her voice he knew she didn't really want it.

"I'll clean the area, judge the extent of the burn and then decide whether or not you need a skin graft. If you don't, I'll patch you up."

"I do know the drill. I think you're forgetting I am a doctor as well." Zoe stated.

"Oh sorry, do you want to do this yourself?" there was no answer, "No. Well I didn't think you would."

Taking the syringe that was filled with saline, he squirted it over her burnt hand. Next he judged the burn was probably a 2nd degree burn and would not require a skin graft. "It's a 2nd degree burn, shouldn't leave too much scarring." He said as he began to dress her hand.

"Dylan?" she asked, waiting for him to meet her gaze, "Did we… You know, do anything?"

"No." He dropped her gaze, _but I wish we had._


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter four

She left it at that and there was no more discussion about the night that had never happened.

Sam had found Dylan in the CDU, his usual hiding place from actual work. "Dylan,"

He glanced up, her arms were folded across her chest indicating this wasn't going to be a chummy chat. "You could have told me you were seeing Dr Hanna."

Dylan scoffed at the thought, "Sam, there's nothing to tell. We aren't together and the last time I checked you and I weren't together either so I don't see why I would have to run the idea past you anyway."

This caught her off guard. She wasn't expecting him to turn this around on her. Just as she opened her mouth to reply her pager went off, "Well, gotta run." And with that she was gone.

Just moments after Sam had left, his pager went off too. He snatched it from the desk in front of him and read it, _I'm sure they can cope without me._

* * *

Zoe was in the staff room, her locker door ajar. She had changed and was now wearing a feminine, dark grey suit with a pair of red heels. Her make-up had been re-done and her hair was brushed and styled. Opening her locker a little more she reached in and took out her stethoscope and placed it around her neck.

Charlie popped his head around the staff room door, "Zoe, we've got a major RTC, two majors and four minors are coming in."

Zoe dismissed Charlie with a nod. She took a deep breath and then closed her locker door.

Just as she stepped out from the staff room several paramedics, doctors and nurses all rushed past her stating a lot of medical jargon.

Zoe joined the last team to come through the double doors, which lead to the ambulance bay. Her team consisted of: Jeff, Dixie, Linda, Sam, Fletch and herself.

Dixie started off by informing the team of the man's status, "This is John Doe. We don't have a current ID on him yet. He was a pedestrian and was involved in the RTC; we have sedated him and tubed him. He's had 5mg of morphine and his BP is 110/70. He has a query tib and fib compound fracture, perforated spleen and multiple facial lacerations. He may have some cracked ribs." Just as Dixie had finished briefing the medical team they had rolled their patient next to a gurney in resus. "Alright on my count," said Jeff as each member grabbed part of the back board the man was laying on, "One, two, three." On three everyone lifted him a couple inches and slid him onto the gurney. Next, they rolled him onto his side, making sure his head and neck were stable and slid the back board out from underneath him. Whilst they had him on his side, Sam checked for any obvious injuries.

The man's upper clothing had been removed and it was obvious he was a regular at the gym. The muscles in his abdomen were noticeably defined and his pecks looked firm. His neck was in a collar, most of his face was misshapen with swelling and lacerations and a breathing tube jetted out of his mouth and was hooked up to a ventilator. The left leg of his jeans was cut away so the paramedics were able to secure his mangled leg.

Once Jeff and Dixie had done their bit, the rest of the trauma team took over. Fletch was inserting a syringe in to the mystery man's vein and then replacing it with an IV. Linda was keeping a close eye on the man's vitals whilst Sam checked for any underlying injuries and Zoe checked the man's eyes with her pen light. "Pupils are equal and reactive." She announced to the room. _No swelling or bleeding on the brain. _Zoe observed Sam and when she glanced up at her she saw a hint of anger in Sam's eyes. Forgetting about it, Zoe continued the course of treatment.

* * *

Back in CDU Dylan was still avoiding work. When Noel came through the door and started heading for him, Dylan picked up the phone and acted like he was making a consult. "No. There were no clots in her femoral arteries… Yes… Well that explains-"

"Dylan," Noel said, "You know normally the phone has to ring before you can answer it."

Dylan glared at him, "What is it, Neil?" he snarled as he put the phone down slowly.

Taking no notice of Dylan's attempts to make him go away he simply replied, "I paged you. You're wanted in resus."

Dylan rolled his eyes and groaned. He would much rather solve a complicated medical mystery than be in resus. "Fine." And with that he walked away.

"Oh, and it's Noel actually." He called behind him.

* * *

Sam looked up towards the doors as they swung open and Dylan entered. She called him over and explained the current situation before knocking her shoulder against his and walking out.

"What was that about?" Zoe asked curiously.

Shrugging was the only reply he gave her. Putting one hand on the other he gently palpated the patient's abdomen. Finding nothing out of the ordinary, he stopped.

Zoe reached for the Velcro on the patient's leg splint at the same time Dylan did and for the brief moment that their hands met she felt her heart flutter. They met one another's gaze and Zoe smiled at him. He darted his eyes from hers and focused on the mangled leg, _Get your act together. You and Zoe will never work out. _


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter five

_The tall sky rises provided little protection from the rain that pelted down from the black sky, but he didn't stop running. The rain trickling down his face and his back merged with his sweat. He was panting now. Soon he wouldn't be able to run anymore. Soon he'd have to stop. But until then he kept running through the maze of buildings that was before him. He needed to get away._

_There was a small pot hole down the alley way. He caught the tip of his ragged shoe and stumbled forwards. He put his arms out to absorb most of the impact but, because of the speed he'd been running, his body was propelled forwards and slid across the gravel. Before he even had a chance to register the feeling of pain a dark shadow engulfed him._

_Scuttling on his backside up against a wall, he assumed the foetal position, just waiting for the next blow to his beaten body. The shadow moved closer and leant down. He could feel the warm breath on his neck and it made his skin crawl. "Hello, son."_


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter six

The trees were swaying gently in the autumn breeze. People passed carrying out their daily lives. Sam was sat on the bench in the peace garden outside the hospital. She gazed up at the birds as they flew overhead. She wondered what it would be like to have that much freedom, to be able to fly away whenever things got too hectic.

"Penny for your thoughts?" asked a voice behind her.

"You don't want to know, Charlie" she sighed.

He seated himself next to her, "Ah, one of those days is it? We've all had them." He squeezed her shoulder reassuringly before continuing, "The trick is … not to let them get to you."

Someone shouted, "Charlie, you're needed." from the ambulance bay.

Just as he stood to leave he turned to her and said, "This place is like quicksand: as soon as you think you've struggled free, it sucks you back in." Sam allowed a smile to spread across her face.

* * *

Back in resus Zoe was, stood at the end of her patient's bed, jotting down notes on a clip board. Her mind was elsewhere. She was busy trying to recollect her actions last night. Nothing made sense; it was just a blur of random events. That was when John Doe's eyes fluttered open. She walked over to his side and placed the clipboard on the bed bar. "Hello. Can you hear me? You're in Holby City ED"

His eyes were glazed over and he looked disorientated. He began to cough and splutter as he was beginning to breathe on his own. Zoe placed her hand on the tube, removed the tape, and ordered him to blow out as she removed it.

Once he had regained full consciousness he spoke, "What… what happened?" His voice cracked but there was something about his northern accent that Zoe recognised. Then she placed his voice in the club she was at the previous night. He was the tall, dark, handsome one who asked her for a dance. _James Bond._ He looked completely different now with his battered and bruised face. "You were knocked down by a car this morning. You sustained some major injuries which include a compound fracture to the tib and fib, a perforated spleen and multiple facial lacerations, you're going to need surgery. You may have also cracked some ribs but we won't know until further x-rays."

He was taken aback by this. Zoe waited a while to allow the news to sink in.

"James, is there anyone you'd like me to call for you?"

He glanced up at her. "My mum. Please"

* * *

Zoe was seated in her office. After she'd phoned James' mum she had pulled up his medical notes. He was 19 years old. He was 19 and she had made-out with him. The memory of his stubble rubbing up against her neck was replaying over in her mind. She was old enough to be his mother. She couldn't help but wonder if things may have gone further. Her thought process was interrupted by Dylan who had barged into her office. His hands were on his hips and his expression was bland.

"You alright?" he asked her, "Just you've been rather quiet."

She was shocked. It was unlike Dylan to take notice of what she does, "Yeah. Yeah, I'm good… Are you?"

"Of course. How's the hand?" he gestured towards her bandaged hand.

Zoe glanced down at it, almost forgetting it was there. _Perhaps he feels guilty about it. _"It's not too bad. Um Dylan, would you like to go out for a drink tonight, perhaps a gin and tonic?"

"Are you forgetting I'm a recovering alcoholic?" there was a sense of spitefulness in his tone.

"Fine. I'll have the gin and you can have the tonic." She joked

He smiled and agreed to the drinks.


	7. Chapter 7

**AN: Sorry it's been so long since i last updated. A-levels are hard and I've had no time to write. But I'm back... for now.**

Chapter seven

Sam was sat on the sofa in the staff room. She had her stethoscope in her hand and was banging it against her knee to a rhythm in her head. There was a cup of coffee standing alone by the sink. Sam had made it for herself but then lost the taste for it. It was cold now.

A few minutes had passed when Zoe walked in. She strutted over to the cabinets looking for something to eat. "It's quiet out there." She said as she opened a drawer and let out a reluctant sigh when she realised it was empty.

"Is it?" Replied Sam rather dully, "I wouldn't know, I've been in resus talking to our patient … James."

Zoe swallowed. "Oh, have you?" She closed the draw and turned to face Sam, leaning on the desktop behind her she asked, "Does he have any recollection of the accident?"

"No."

There was a pause as silence hung in the air.

"But he seems to remember something else … about last night with a certain someone who may or may not be in this room right now."

Zoe's heart sunk because she knew it was going to get out sooner or later. She knew her colleagues would find out, and when they found out so would Dylan. She tried to recompose herself and act as though she didn't know what Sam was getting at. "Are you sure? It could be from his concussion that his memories are getting muddled together."

Sam smirked at Zoe and then turned her gaze to her stethoscope which she had now stopped tapping against her knee. "That could be it. Except for the fact he doesn't have a concussion."

Zoe turned to look out of the window. She dropped her head, gave a sigh and then asked Sam to explain James' course of advents.

His story matched her own, up to the very last detail. Although there weren't many details for Zoe to remember as for most of the night she had been wasted.

"Please don't tell anyone. I didn't realise his age. It was dark, I was drunk, and he was probably drunk too. We were both looking for a good time." Zoe pleaded.

Sam looked her up and down, "Sounds like you had a good time to me."

"Oh don't you go all cynical on me. It was just a kiss." She hissed back.

Sam rose from her seat and approached Zoe. "You think that's how Dylan's going to see it? 'It was just a kiss'" her voice was patronising and didn't make Zoe feel any better about the events that had just unravelled. "He likes you."

"No he doesn't."

"Yes, he does. I've seen the way he looks at you. He used to look at me in that exact same way. He cares about you. It's obvious to everyone except you. Why do you think he dressed your hand for you, why he let you ride in his car, why he stayed the night at your place?"

"I don't know. I never thought about it, I assumed he was being nice." _But when has Dylan ever been nice?_

"Oh come on Zoe. I know you like him back. Why else would you be worried about people finding out what happened between you and James? I know this isn't the first occurrence." Sam had a vacant look in her eyes. "If you really do like him … don't mess it up. Don't make the same mistake I did. He's been through a lot in his past and he deserves better."

Zoe allowed a little smile to creep across her face as she embraced Sam for a hug. "Thank you." She whispered in her ear.

Outside the staff room, the two young doctors were unaware that Dylan had just heard the whole conversation. He had come for a bowl of his cereal but was stopped in his tracks when he heard the rumpus coming from beyond the door and decided to listen in. _Thanks Sam _he thought to himself sarcastically.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter eight

_He was struggling to breathe. His shirt collar was digging into his wind wipe. His view was obscured by the rain beating into his eyes every time he looked up to gather his bearings. "What do you think you're doing running off you little shit?" Hissed the deep voice from behind him. _

_He was being dragged backwards; he could feel the roughness of the concrete against his bare skin. "Please, I won't do it again. I promise. Please." He pleaded as tears swelled in his eyes._

_"Yeah I know you won't. I'll make sure of that myself."_

_That was the last thing he remembered before arriving back home. His head was spinning and something was running down his face. He watched the floor as the red droplets of blood fell from his face and splatted on the carpet. Groaning, he picked himself up from the ground and limped up the tattered and stained stairs to his mother's bedroom. He stopped dead in his tracks, eyes wide and mouth open._

_ "Mummy?"_


	9. Chapter 9

**AN: I give credit to RetardedFish97 who gave me the idea for this chapter.**

Chapter nine

James was in surgery whilst his mum paced back and forth in the relatives' room. She was blotting her forehead with a now damp tissue. Her hair was a mess and she had obviously thrown on the first lot of the clothes she saw. This woman was a mum who would do anything to make sure her son was safe and when in a situation like this all she could do was hope. She stopped pacing for a brief moment to check the time but then continued shortly after.

When Zoe walked in she stopped pacing altogether and looked at the woman in bewilderment, "Is he OK doctor? Is my baby alright?" She was beginning to sob.

"Yes, yes he's fine Mrs Kennington. The surgeons had to insert a metal rod into his tibia and fibula and insert several screws to keep the bones in place. His internal injuries have been dealt with and the best thing for him now is rest."

Mrs Kennington threw herself at Zoe and hugged her whilst crying into her hair. "Oh thank God my baby is alright. Can I see him? Is he awake?"

Zoe patted her back awkwardly and tried to pull her off of her in the nicest way possible, "I'll get someone to take you up to see him. He should be up now."

"Thank you doctor." And with that she left to see her son.

* * *

As Sam walked out of the staff room Dylan grabbed her by the elbow and whispered, "A word?"

Sam followed him reluctantly to an empty store room down the corridor. He let go of her elbow and ushered her into the room. The space was cramped but he figured this'd do.

"Dylan, what is this?"

"How could you Sam? I thought I could trust you." His voice was stern and his arms were folded.

"Dylan, what are you talking about? Honestly you make no sense sometimes." She laughed in an attempt to ease the serious tension between the two of them.

He was growing impatient with her, "Oh please, don't play dumb with me. I know you told Zoe I felt something towards her. Don't even deny it, I heard everything. And you brought up my past?!" He was beginning to raise his voice, "You know why things would never work with me and her. I trusted you with my personal problems, but what do you do? Go and tell everyone."

She took a step closer making sure to get right up in his personal space, "Don't have a go at me. She won't care about your 'issues' she'll kiss anyone. If you don't want people to find out your secrets then you should really keep them to yourself."

He massaged his eyes with his hand and sighed. "Just leave Sam." He yelled when she didn't move, "Go!"

She stood her ground and refused to budge so he stormed out instead, making sure to slam the door behind him. He walked over to one of the pillars by the computers, leaned against it and then slid down it until he was slumped on the floor. He buried his face in his hands and took some deep breaths to calm himself. _It's not real. It's not real. You're safe here. Just breathe._

* * *

"Zoe your patient, James, would like to speak to you."

"OK I'll be up in a bit, thanks Tess."

On her way up to the post-op ward she had the same question running through her mind, _Why does he want to see me?_

She knocked on the door, waited, and then let herself in. "Hello, James? I'm Doctor Hanna, I treated you when you arrived. I hear you wanted to see me."

The swelling in his face had gone down quite a bit but he still didn't look the same as on the night she first saw him. He looked vulnerable lying in that hospital bed. His face was drained of colour and now looked a slight greyish tone. His piercing brown eyes had faded and his left leg was wrapped in a knee high cast.

"Alright sexy. Come back for seconds?"

She scoffed at the thought, "Excuse me?"

"Come on Zoe, let's not play games. I know you want me, who wouldn't?"

"HA! I don't know what you think I want but it certainly isn't you. And it's Doctor Hanna to you."

"Feisty. Come here and give me another kiss." He extended his arm out to hers and grabbed her by the hand, pulling her onto him. Zoe slapped him across the face and pulled herself away from him.

"What do you think you're doing to my son?" Exclaimed Mrs Kennington from the doorway.

"He came onto me, it was self-defence." Said Zoe, trying to remain as calm as possible.

"Self-defence my arse. You attacked my son, my poor helpless son. I'll have you for this." She rushed over to her baby and hugged him, shooting Zoe a dirty look as she did so. "Just you wait."


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter ten

The typical bar music was playing. There is that one person who always puts the same song on and whoever they were they were here. Zoe was in her work clothes but she looked different in a sense. Perhaps it was the change of scenery or maybe the fact she had a worry crease in her brow.

Dylan walked over to their table in the far corner carrying the drinks. "One tonic for me and one gin for you."

"You didn't really get that did you? I was joking when I suggested those."

"Oh really? Well it's a good job I didn't listen to you then isn't it." He said as he placed her vodka and orange next to her and took a sip of his own cranberry juice before sitting down.

She smiled at him and took a swig of her drink.

"So how was your day?" he asked politely.

She looked at him dead in the eyes and at that moment she wanted to come clean and tell him everything. She wanted to tell him about James and how it meant nothing to her. She wanted to confess about what happened with James' mum and have him cuddle her whilst whispering in her ear, "It's alright". She wanted to kiss him right then and there; in the pub for all to see. She put a false smile on and simply replied, "It was good, and how was yours?"

He raised one eyebrow and leaned in closer to her. "Your day was not good. Whilst I was buying our drinks you were constantly checking your phone which means you're waiting for something important. Judging by the crease in your brow I can tell it's not going to be good news. You took a swig of your drink as though there was something you were trying to forget which backs up my previous point of saying that this message will not be good news." He looked her in the eyes, "Now, tell me what's wrong Zoe."

She sighed and dropped her head, she began by speaking to the table not wanting to look at him because she didn't want to see his reaction. "You know that boy that came in this morning with internal injuries and a compound fracture to his left leg. John Doe."

Dylan nodded showing he was paying attention.

"Well … that wasn't the first time I have had an encounter with him. Last night, when I was at that club, things got a little heated and we got close, too close."

It was now his turn to sigh and look down. Zoe lifted her head to look at him. "But I didn't feel anything towards him. I was hammered. I regretted it the moment I found out. I swear Dylan it didn't mean anything."

He met her gaze, "I know you know."

She was taken aback by this, "Know what Dylan?"

"That I like you. Don't deny it, I know Sam told you. She had no right and this is why you're acting so guilty over a kiss."

She reached out to touch his hand but he pulled it away. "Dylan, I like you too. And I'm not just upset over a kiss. Something else happened today as well involving him."

"What? What happened? Is this why you've been checking your phone constantly?" He was beginning to get agitated, "Are you waiting for him to call you? This is why you look so worried isn't it? You don't want me to find out. You want to play us both. Lead us on. Is that it? Hm, play your little manipulative games with us then toss us away like a piece of no good, worthless, meat." He was standing now. "Well I refuse to be a part of your games. Screw you Zoe." He kicked his chair out of his way and stormed out of the pub, leaving Zoe sat there alone with tears building up in her eyes. With one blink they were rolling down her cheeks.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter eleven

_He was only ten. This boy was only ten and he had already witnessed the gruesome death of his mother. "I should have been here." He whispered to the lifeless room. "I should have stopped it." _

_Just a few feet in front of him, sprawled out of a stain ridden mattress, was his mother. She was clutching a bottle of alcohol in one hand and an empty bottle of pills in the other. She was naked and her bruises and deep cuts were on show for her son to see. Her matted hair covered her face which was lying in a pool of her own blood and vomit._

_He wandered over to her slowly. Once next to her he brushed her hair away from her face, closed her eyes and kissed her forehead. "Night night mummy. I'm sorry I couldn't protect you, I wasn't strong enough. You're safe now. The angles will look after you." He hugged her and a tear rolled down his cheek. "I love you." He whispered into her ear. _

_He felt a sharp tug on his hair and he was ripped away from his mother. "Get a good look did you, you little shit."_

_He turned to face the man who had pulled him off his mum. "Fuck you."_

_"What did you say?"_

_"I said … Fuck-" Before he had a chance to finish his sentence a blow was sent to his jaw, knocking him to the floor. He wiped his split lip with the back of his hand. The man picked him up by the scruff of the collar and took him over to the dead woman on the bed. _

_"You see her. This whore. She begged me to stop beating her and when I didn't she screamed 'Just don't hurt my Dylan.' Well that's a promise I just don't think I can keep." He chucked the child onto the floor and kicked him repeatedly._

_"Night night Dylan."_


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter twelve

He was pacing down an alleyway, running his fingers through his hair. His breathing was ragged and he needed a way to vent his frustration. Finding nothing to help ease his anger he swung his right arm out and punched the wall to his left. The force of the wall against his clenched fist sent a surge of pain all the way up his arm. He gritted his teeth and accepted the fact that this is what he deserved.

Dylan wasn't one to get angry very often, sure he was sarcastic but that was his way of communicating with others. This was out of character for him which is why Zoe was shocked when she found him having a fight with a dustbin. He had clearly kicked it and punched it multiple times as there were indentations all over the object and it was laying on it's side. Zoe ran up to him and grabbed him by the shoulder, signalling for him to stop and turn to face her. When he did so she could see the anger in his eyes but also a glint of sadness.

"Dylan, what are you doing? This isn't like you." Her voice was croaky, almost as if she was holding back tears.

"What I should've done a long time ago. What I should have done to him."

She was puzzled, her facial expression said it all. "What? Who's him?"

Dylan refused to tell his secret to her. He shrugged her hand off of his shoulder and walked out of the alley, kicking an empty cardboard box on his way.

Zoe watched him leave. _Should I go after him? What if he becomes angrier... No, he's your friend and you have to see he's alright. _And with that she scampered off after him, making sure to leave a good several feet between him and her.

He didn't go far. He turned a couple of corners and entered the cemetery. Zoe questioned her subconscious on whether or not she should follow him in. After weighing up the pros and cons she came to the conclusion that she'd wait out here and see what he does and then retrace his footsteps once he leaves.

She was just finishing her fag by the time he left. Making sure the coast was clear she made the same path he did until she ended up at the headstone he was looking at. _Emma Keogh. Loving wife and mother. 1940 - 1970._

* * *

As Dylan was making his way back to Holby ED he was really starting to feel the disadvantages of getting into a brawl with a brick wall and a metal bin. Glancing down at his misshapen and swollen hand he gently ran his left hand over it, feeling for any lumps and bumps. After the excruciating pain of his examination was over he deciphered that he probably had a couple displacement fractures and that his hand was, well and truly, fucked.

His trek back to the ED was a long one. Mostly because he was walking at an average speed of under 1mph. When he did arrive there he was greeted by a lot of concerned faces. _They know your secret._

"Alright mate?" Asked Tom

"Who me? I'm just dandy" He retorted sarcastically

Tom looked him up and down and caught glimpse of his black and blue hand, "Well that hand says otherwise. What happened? It looks like you caught it under a lorry."

"You should have seen the other guy"

He let out a short burst of laughter, "You got into a fight? I find the lorry story easier to believe." He put his hand on Dylan's shoulder and began nudging him to a cubicle. "Come on. Let me take a look at that and you can tell me all about your _fight_"

Once in a cubicle Dylan was reluctant to give Tom his injured hand. "Look, it's obviously broken. You don't need to be a doctor to see I have a couple of displacement fractures. Just save us both a lot of time and pain and send for a bleemin' x-ray"

Tom smiled, "Me doctor, you patient. What I say goes. Now let me examine your hand ... please"

Dylan held his arm in front of Tom and allowed him to check him over.

Tom began by gently taking his hand with the both of his and bending it at the wrist. He soon stopped when he could see the discomfort on Dylan's face. "Does that hurt a lot?"

"No, I always make this face when I'm happy."

"At least your lovely personality is still intact. I'll give you 2 mg of Vicodin to ease the pain."

Once the drugs had kicked in Tom began his examination, again. He palpated Dylan's hand and worked his way up to the wrist. Feeling content with his efforts he ordered an x-ray which confirmed Dylan's thesis.

"Looks like you were right Mr Genius. You have 2 displacement fractures in your metacarpal bones and your radius is fractured."

Dylan's facial expression was bland as usual, "Hurrah for me."

"So, what did happen to you?" Tom asked

"Well, I, erm ... I seem to recall punching a wall in an attempt to ease my frustration and when that didn't work I attacked a dustbin, which was surprisingly better."

"OK. I'm not even going to ask why. What I will ask though is that you exhale deeply ... now" After the now Tom yanked Dylan's hand down in an attempt to realign the bones.

"Alright mate, one more and then we'll get you plastered." He did the same as before but this time he pulled his hand diagonally up. Dylan gritted his teeth and exhaled (which did nothing to ease the pain).

Once the grueling work was done and his arm was plastered he dismissed Tom, took another 1 mg of Vicodin, and allowed himself a quick nap.

* * *

Sat in her office, Zoe was leaning over her desk submerged in an article she was reading. She moved her lips as she silently read the text to herself.

She closed her laptop and dropped back into her chair. She was in shock at what she had just read. It was something she could only imagine in a nightmare. How someone could put their child through such monstrosity was a mystery to her. When Sam burst into her office she didn't react. Her eyes were the only thing to move and they locked onto Sam's.

"What did you say to Dylan?" She asked, she looked concerned.

It took Zoe a few seconds to fully register the words Sam had just said. "Nothing. I didn't say anything?"

"Come on Zoe. What happened when you and him left here?"

"We went to a bar."

Sam moved closer to her and placed her hand on Zoe's arm, "Then what happened? Did he seem ... paranoid?"

"How did you know?" Zoe was beginning to return back to herself.

Sam let out a sigh, "I can't say. Please, just tell me what happened once you were at the bar."

"Well he went and bought the drinks and when he came back he seemed different. I don't know what it was but he didn't seem like his usual self. He asked me how my day was and when i answered he questioned my response. He was agitated." She paused and allowed herself some time to breathe. "I told him. I told him about the kiss and then he snapped. He started yelling and then he left."

Sam nodded, signalling for her to carry on.

"I followed him out. He was down an alley venting his anger through physical action."

"How do you mean?"

"He was punching the wall and kicking bins. I tried to stop him but he said it was what he should have done to someone. I asked him who but he just stormed off again."

Sam looked at the floor and muttered something under her breathe.

"What was that?"

Sam shot her head back up, "Nothing. I just huffed."

"No, you said something."

Sam looked uncomfortable, Zoe wondered if she knew what was wrong with Dylan. "You know when you said Dylan deserved better because he'd been through a lot in his past. What was it that he'd been through."

Sam squirmed, "I - I can't say. He'd be angry. I promised him."

"Was it to do with his mother?"

Sam looked shocked. _How could she possibly know about Dylan's mother._

"His mother? What do you mean?"

"I know Sam. I know that he witnessed his mother's death. I know he was abused by his father."

"How could you know? He's never spoken openly about it. I was the only person he told."

"Because he visited her grave and I followed him."


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter thirteen

It'd_ been 6 months since his mother's brutal murder. A lot had changed within that time. His father was arrested and sentenced to 16 years in prison and Dylan had been sent to live in foster care. He never stayed put though. If he wasn't running away from the home he was getting into fights with the other children which initially ended up in him getting transferred._

_He was sat on a bench by the canal watching the boats sail past. He liked boats. He liked the idea of being able to live in the same place but with different scenery whenever you pleased. _

_It was cold out and his flimsy jacket didn't protect him from the harshness of the wind. He tucked his knees under his chin and pulled the brown paper bag next to him closer. Inside was a little cake with the words "Happy Birthday" frosted on the top. He took a bite and savored the sweetness of the cake. It brought back memories of when he was little and he and his mother used to bake cakes together. _

_Then it hit him. He'd been filled with so much hate and anger that he didn't have time to process what had happened in the last 6 months. Now, he was only just coming to the realisation that his mother was dead. She was dead. Gone. They'd never be able to bake cakes together again, he'd never hear her soft voice again. His eyes swelled with tears and he dropped the cake onto the damp floor below. He didn't even have a chance to say goodbye to her. _

_He allowed himself to clear all the anger and hatred from his system so only sadness remained. He cried, the salty tears stung his cheeks. When he had finished crying and all the sadness was gone the anger and the hatred returned, but this time it was stronger. He felt like a time bomb just waiting to explode. He wiped his eyes with the sleeve of his jacket and stood up from the bench. _

_Then he ran. He didn't know where he was running to but he knew he couldn't stay here._


	14. Chapter 14

Tom was clicking his pen as he made his way to cubicles. He pulled open the curtain to find Dylan out of it on the bed. He was snoring. Tom smiled at him and then turned his attention to the notes at the end of his bed. He picked up the clipboard and flicked through. Finding nothing relevant to Dylan's current state of mind he put the clipboard back.

Dylan flinched in his sleep and the snoring stopped. His eyes flickered open and his beautifully blue eyes were fixed on Tom.

"What are you doing?"

"Nothing. Just checking up on sleeping beauty. How's the pain now?"

Dylan rolled his eyes at his remark, "It's fine, a little stuff but it's fine."

"OK, well it will be for some time. Looks like you'll be restricted from work for a little while."

Dylan gave Tom a boyish half smile. "Illnesses is why I became a doctor. Patients are what make most doctors miserable."

Tom smiled and then seated himself on the end of the bed and turned to face Dylan. He pointed at his cast, "So why _were _you in a fight with some inanimate objects?"

He sighed and glanced at the cast before looking back at Tom.

"Because ... I needed to vent my frustration. It worked."

"Why were you frustrated?"

"Life in general is a frustrating thing. We all find ways to cope with it but sometimes you need to do something different."

Tom laughed "Oh so physical exertion is your coping method?"

His face was straight and his voice was stern. "No. It was the something different."

Tom patted Dylan's leg as he got up off the bed, "OK mate. You can leave when you want to."

* * *

Out in the peace garden was Zoe. She was laying on the bench, arms resting on her abdomen and her eyes closed. She felt the light shift as a figure blocked the sun, casting a shadow on her face. She opened her eyes and was shocked to find Dylan standing over her. She shot up into a sitting position and looked up at the man.

"You startled me."

"I think we need to talk."

"About what?"

He sat down next to her and held his right arm in his other hand. After taking a deep breathe he began to speak to the floor. "About everything." He brought up the courage to look her in her brown eyes, those beautiful brown eyes. "There's something I need to tell you."

"Well tell me then."

"I can't. Not here."

"Where would you like to talk, Dylan?"

"Somewhere private. Meet me in the on-call room in 10 minutes. That gives you time to smoke one of your cancer sticks." He gave her a half-hearted smile.

She nodded.

* * *

He was pacing the room. _Just do it. Just tell her. _At that moment the door opened and he turned to watch it open. Stood in the doorway was Zoe. She looked about as nervous as he did.

She walked in, closing the door behind her. "So, what did you want to say?"

_Kiss me._ "I just wanted to, um, apologise, for the way I acted in the pub and outside of the pub."

"Oh, right. Well ..."

"Well ..."

"I don't know Dylan. I just want to know why you've been acting strange lately."

He took a step closer to her. "I don't know how to tell you."

"Just say it, that's what words are fo-"

Before she had a chance to finish her sentence he had already grabbed her by her shoulders and pulled her to him. His lips were locked with hers and he felt so right. She was feeling the same as him because she didn't pull away. Instead she began running her fingers through his hair.

When they pulled apart they both took a while to catch their breathe. Dylan looked into her eyes with a grin on his face, "They say actions speak louder than words."

Zoe took a step back from him and dropped his gaze. The atmosphere in the room shifted."I know about your past."

Dylan's smile faded, "What do you mean?" He was taken aback by this.

"About your father, about your mother ... about you."

"What? How did - How could you possibly know?" He was beginning to squirm under the pressure of her knowing his secret. _Please, don't say you know about the murder._

"I'm sorry Dylan." She gently caressed his forearm, "I did some research and found the article about your mother's murder and your father's imprisonment."

He dropped himself onto the bed that was positioned next to him. He rubbed his knuckles against his stubbled cheek and exhaled deeply. "I suppose I should tell you then. The whole story, not just the parts the newspaper found most interesting and took out of context."

Zoe climbed onto the bed and sat diagonally behind him.

He began to tell her his course of events "My father wasn't always the way he was. He used to take me fishing with him when I was younger. I never did like fishing. One day when we came back home my mother was sat on the couch and she'd been crying. She was holding something in her hand. My father went over to comfort her and when he saw the thing she was holding he started to cry too. It wasn't until later that I found out she had been diagnosed with cancer. Terminal they said. A few months after, my father had turned to alcohol as his source of comfort. He had become an alcoholic whilst my mum laid in bed dying. Then there was me, this 8 year old kid who had no parents but, instead, fragmentation's of parents." He paused, allowing himself time to think. Zoe placed her hand on his shoulder and gave him a reassuring squeeze. "By the time I was 9 my father had lost his grasp of reality. Although my mother had fought her battle with cancer and won he was adamant that I was the cause. He would come home drunk and I'd know he was drunk because the second he walked through that door the whole house would fill with a foul odor of booze. My mother used to protect me. She'd take the beatings so I wouldn't have to. But sometimes he'd come home while she was out. I'd try to hide but that just made him angrier. He'd beat me. No matter how much I cried or how loud I screamed the blows just kept coming. Until one day. The day I ran away." His eyes began to fill with tears and then the tears began to stream down his face. His bottom lip was trembling as he tried to recall what happened that day.

Zoe moved closer to him and put her arms around him. He rested his head on her and continued to cry. She spoke soothing words to him and gently rubbed his arm. "It's OK Dylan. You don't have to go on."

He shook his head and tried to speak, his voice was croaky. "No. I have to."

A couple minutes later he had re cooperated and insisted that he carry on.

"I ran away because I couldn't stand the pain he put me in. I thought I would've been free and that all my troubles would be over now. I was wrong. He found me. He dragged me back home by the scruff of my neck. I struggled to breathe because he was cutting off my airway so I pleaded with him. That was the last thing I remembered because when I woke up I was face down in a pool of blood but I was home. I couldn't see him so I ran upstairs to my mother. That's when I saw her. Dead. She was dead and it was all my fault. She died protecting me and when she didn't tell him where I was he beat her to death. I remember walking over to her and kissing her forehead before being ripped away from her. He whispered things to me, about how she was was dirty whore and how she had it coming to her. I retaliated so he threw me against the wall. That was when the police burst through the door. They took him away and that was the last time I saw him. Now I was 10 with no parents, not even fragmentation's." He sighed, the memories were still fresh in his mind. He used to play them over and over in his mind, trying to figure out how he could have prevented it. "I was put in a foster home which didn't last long. They had to keep transferring me because I fought all the kids. At the age of 11 I ran away from there. I had to look after myself. I was no longer a boy. I found a hostel to live in until I was 13. I ran into some luck and was accepted into an all boys school after getting above average on a test. I cheated. Once I graduated college I decided I wanted to study medicine and applied for 5 universities. 4 turned me down. I didn't realise how much pressure I would be put under. Uni was hard. I started to lose focus of the important things in life and became a care free student. Parties every night, hangovers every morning ... Then after years of partying and a near liver cancer scare I ended up here."

He let out a sigh of relief and felt marginally better that he was able to get that off of his chest.

Zoe was in shock. More shock than when she read the article. Dylan turned to face her and brushed a strand of hair behind her ear.

"There's something I think you should see." He said.

She nodded, still speechless.

Dylan unbuttoned his shirt, this was a harder task than usual because he was still getting used to his plaster cast. He slipped his shirt off and turned his back to Zoe, revealing his scars.

"Oh my god." Zoe had found her voice. She ran her finger over one of the scars that was raised more than the others. "How did you get this one?"

"He, um, he whipped me across the back with wire."

When he turned to face her Zoe just stared at him in amazement. She wondered how he managed to survive all these brutal attacks. _Oh Dylan. Why didn't you just tell someone?_

"I just want you to know, I still really, erm, like you."

She smiled and rested her forehead on his, "If anything this makes me like you more. The way you opened up to me and put trust in me."

"Good." He cupped her face in his hands and began to kiss her. They laid down on the bed continuing to kiss. Dylan slipped his hands under her shirt and ran his fingers down her soft skin. She was running her fingers through his hair. Their kisses became more intimate and intense and when they had to stop to breathe Dylan explored her neck with his mouth. The feel of his stubble against her neck sent memories flooding back to her. _James Kennington. _She pushed him off of her.

"What, was it something I did?"

She rose from the bed and stood up, straightening her outfit making it look like nothing had just happened.

"No. It's not you. I just remembered I have to do something." With that she rushed off out of the door leaving Dylan sat on the bed looking confused and shirtless.


	15. Chapter 15

**AN: I'm so sorry I haven't updated in, what seems like, years. I've been extremely busy and I've had a nasty case of writers block and am completely stumped at what to write. So, bear with me :)**

* * *

Chapter fifteen

Just outside of the ED entrance she stood there. One arm was folded across her chest and the other was to her mouth, holding her cigarette. She looked up at the smoke, watching how it twisted and curled in the air before disappearing into the sky. If only her thoughts could vaporize as quickly as the smoke. Right now her brain was pestering her on the James situation. _Forget him. You did nothing wrong, he came onto you. _

At that moment a hand found its way to her shoulder. She jolted and dropped her cigarette on the floor as her mind was brought back to reality. Turning around she saw the hand belonged to Noel. He gave her a subtle smile, "Sorry. I didn't mean to make you jump but I thought I should let you know that James has asked that the complaint be dropped."

Zoe felt the weight being lifted from her shoulders. She sighed with relief and returned Noel's smile, "Thank you Noel."

"No problem Dr Hanna." and with that he turned around and walked back to reception.

Zoe lent her back against the brick wall and allowed herself to continue to smile. Maybe she was wrong. Perhaps thoughts could disappear just as quickly as smoke. Problems, on the other hand, weren't as simple. Mrs Kennington was her biggest problem right now.

Just as she turned to walk back into the ED a figure engulfed her personal space. Before she had a chance to process who it was, she was being shoved backwards. The woman was shouting things at her. It took a while for the words to sink in.

"You cow!" The voice shouted, "You've got off scott-free despite harassing my son. So, I'm taking matters into my own hands."

Zoe was trying to hold the woman back, but her attempts did nothing but aggravate the woman further.

"Mrs Kennington, it isn't what you think. You didn't see what he did to me."

There was no point in reasoning with the woman, she wasn't listening. Before Zoe could say another word she was swept off her feet and sent to the ground. She could feel a burning pain on her side as the gravel dug its way into her skin. As Zoe began to push herself up from the floor Mrs Kennington flung herself onto the woman. Zoe's arms collapsed under her and she was forced to remain on her back whilst her ribs were being crushed by the overly large mother.

"Mrs Kennington, get off of me!" exclaimed Zoe.

"Just you try and make me" the woman spat back at her.

It was then that Zoe managed to wriggle one of her arms out from under the woman and send it to her jaw. Being unprepared for the blow, Mrs Kennington was dazed and Zoe managed to free herself from the iron tight clamps that was Mrs Kennington's thighs.

Zoe had regained her footing and was dusting her suit jacket off when Mrs Kennington joined her in standing. With one hand clutching her bruised jaw the other clasped Zoe's hair and yanked the doctor backwards.

"You stupid cow." Yelled Mrs Kennington in Zoe's ear, she could smell the grease oozing from the woman's pores. No wonder Mrs Kennington was the size she was. It seemed as though the woman had never eaten a vegetable in her life. Despite her size this woman was strong. She threw Zoe to the ground, causing her chin to slam into the gravel. Zoe could taste the blood trickling from the corner of her mouth, it had an iron like taste to it. Feeling dazed Zoe attempted to push herself up only to have her head kicked in. She could feel a warm liquid oozing down the side of her face. As the final blow was sent her way she blacked out.

At that moment Dylan came running out through the double doors. As he ran to the unconscious Zoe two security guards ran a few meters behind him. They grabbed Mrs Kennington by the arms and restrained her.

"Get her out of here." Ordered Dylan to the two security guards. He knelt down beside Zoe, placing his hand on her neck he felt her pulse. Looking behind him, back to the hospital, he called for someone to bring a gurney.

Someone came and they lifted her onto the gurney. Pushing the gurney back into the ED, Dylan didn't take his eyes from Zoe's bruised and battered face. He felt something he hadn't felt in a long time. He could feel the same emotions bubbling in him that he felt when he came to the realisation that his mother was dead. He felt like an 11 year old child again, vulnerable and heartbroken. He wanted to run away and hide like he had done before but he knew he couldn't because this time it wasn't about him. This was about Zoe and he needed to be here for her.

"What happened?" asked Sam as she took hold of a bed bar and assisted with pushing the gurney to a private cubicle. Dylan could see she was truly concerned about Zoe's welfare.

"She, um, she was attacked by a woman." Mumbled Dylan to the floor rather than to Sam.

"By who?" exclaimed Sam

"I don't know. I think she was a patient's mother."

Sam's face relaxed and her eyes widened as she realised who caused this. She returned her gaze to Zoe and gave a little shake of her head.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter sixteen

Dylan was sitting in a chair beside Zoe's bed. His hair was scruffier than usual, his stubble more rugged and his shirt was crumpled. He had stayed the night, refusing to leave her side. Sam had offered to stay with her whilst he went home to sleep but he had passed off the offer, telling her he'd be fine here.

Zoe was hooked up to an IV line. Her face was bruised and scarred and a bandage was wrapped around her head. A bandage also covered her chin.

When Zoe awoke from her drug filled sleep she saw Dylan fast asleep in the arm chair and couldn't help but smile to herself. Only, smiling hurt. Everything hurt. She stretched and moved her arms and legs in an attempt to assess the damage that had been done. She came to the conclusion that the worst of the damage was to her right side as that was where most of the pain was originating from. She had found that Mrs Kennington had done a number to her head too as it was throbbing. Darting her eyes around the room she scoured for some pain relief. Finding none she sunk back into her bed and waited for someone to come.

Several minutes after Zoe had awoken, Dylan awoke too. His eyes lazily fluttered open revealing his beautifully blue eyes. He sat himself up straight and put his arms in the air, opening his mouth as wide as he could, he clenched his shoulder blades together causing his spine to click and then relaxed his body into the chair. He caught glimpse of Zoe looking at him and smiled at her.

Standing, he walked over to her bedside and took hold of her stray hand. He brought it to his lips slowly before pressing it against his soft pale lips.

"Hey. How are you feeling?" he asked her compassionately.

Zoe shrugged her shoulders slightly trying not to agitate the pain in her side further. "I've felt better." She let out a small sigh, "How bad is it?"

Dylan's smile faded and he released her hand, "It's not as bad as it could have been."

Zoe's voice was stern but the underlying shakiness to her tone showed that she was scared, "Dylan, how bad is it?"

He rubbed the back of his neck with his good hand, "Well, you, um, you have a couple bruised ribs and you needed four stitches in your right side. You also split your chin and required six stitches there." He looked down at his feet and tapped his toes gently.

Zoe looked at him, "What else Dylan? I need to know."

After a short period of him Dylan returned her gaze, "You also have a hairline skull fracture. If agitated it could cause a bleed on your prefrontal cortex. The area of the brain that is responsible for natural thought which means-"

"I know what it could mean." She snapped at him

He sighed and turned to sit on her bed. He lay down beside her and brushed a tear away from her face with his thumb. Looking into her brown eyes he could see how scared she really was. He moved closer to her and allowed her head to rest on his chest. He gently caressed the back of her head before moving his hand to the bandage on her head. Whilst his casted hand lay on her back the other one was busy running fingers over the bandage, feeling the fabric overlap as it went around her skull.

They both lay there listening to the sound of their breath and the sound of their hearts beating together and for a while they both forgot their troubles.

It wasn't until Zoe felt a sharp pain in her side that caused her to jolt up and off of Dylan's chest. She sat hunched over, with her hand clutching her right side. She moaned under her breath.

Dylan slid himself off the bed and took her by the shoulders, trying to make her sit up.

"Where's the pain?" he questioned her

"My right side. Just below my ribs" she said behind gritted teeth.

She was still hunched over with her eyes tightly shut. He knew he had to do something to make the pain go away so he looked around the room. When he clocked a crash cart at the end of the room he went to it and flung open the cupboard doors. Brushing his hands over the contents he found a syringe and a small bottle of morphine. Sticking the syringe into the bottle top he drew out 2mg of morphine and hurried back to Zoe's side where he jabbed the needle into her IV line.

It took a while but the medication soon kicked in and Dylan laid her back onto the bed.

Zoe's eyes were closed but her vitals were normal. She was just sleeping.

Dylan bent over her and kissed her forehead before leaving to fetch her attending. He needed to know what put her in such discomfort but most of all, he needed his Zoe.


End file.
